Describe a time when you spend time with a child: IELTS Cue Card

This article contains sample answers for the cue card topic – Describe a time when you spend time with a child as well as Part 3 questions related to the topic.

In the Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking section, the most common question type is the cue card. The provided prompts will help you to formulate a response and speak on the given topic. You will have exactly one minute to prepare and speak on a specific topic.

This IELTS cue card gives you an opportunity to share your experience about a time when you spend time with a child. Also, the sample answers given below will guide you to learn how to communicate clearly and successfully.

Before you have a look at the sample answers below, check this video for some tips to score band score 9 on your IELTS Speaking exam! 

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Sample Answer 1

Well, a child? This topic challenged me a lot. I think the last time I played with a child was 2 weeks ago. It’s not very long, right? The child who is 2 years old is my aunt’s son. He is quite mischievous and really cute. Since his mom had to go out for shopping, I took care of him for 2 hours, which I must say that it could be a disaster. Playing with a child is not easy even when he is still very young. I looked after him, not letting reach any high places and checking his diapers, which nearly killed me. I ought to watch every step and prevent him from doing anything dangerous like approaching a plug or trying to take a pen. 2 hours was just like 2 decades and that scared me to death, not because I am get bored with the child but because I’m afraid that something unexpected would harm the kid. Now I agree that experience is a good lesson for me though.

Sample Answer 2

Click on the audio to listen to the sample answer below. Pay attention to the intonation and pronunciation of the words.

Children, with their innocent mind, could make people around laugh by their witty words and funny actions. I’m going to talk about my niece, a four-year-old energetic girl who did something that really made me laugh my head off.

As usual, after finishing dinner, she played with her toys by herself. There was a night when I was doing my assignment. Suddenly, she knocked on the door and told me tenderly that she wanted me to come over to her room. I thought she needed to take any toys on the shelf so I came there immediately. Surprisingly, she asked me to sit down and started to sing a Korean song named “Three little bears”. She sang and did funny actions that I couldn’t help laughing. Her parents and my mom heard the noise, they came to her room. She was aware that many people were around. Interestingly, she opened the wardrobe, chose a pink dress like a princess, took a lipstick from my bag and acted like a true singer that everyone couldn’t take their eyes off her. Whenever she finished, she always questioned whether we like to listen to more songs.

We had a nice night together. Our life is so busy and it’s hard to find true happiness that makes us laugh and enjoy. That was probably the best part of our family memories that I will never forget.

Vocabulary for Cue Card

• Innocent: morally good and with no wish to harm anyone
  Eg: Children are born innocent.
• Laugh your head off : laugh loud and long
  Eg: The comics jokes were so hilarious that everyone laughed their head off.
• Tenderly: softly and gently
  Eg: Eg:  She took the wounded cat tenderly and put it inside the basket. 
• Come over: visit someone
  Eg: Mary and her mother will come over for dinner tonight.
• To be aware of:  Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact
  Eg: Everyone should be made aware of the situation.
• Can’t help something: used for saying that someone cannot stop themselves doing something
  Eg: Rose couldn’t help thinking about her past
• Can’t take your eyes off somebody: unable to stop looking at them because they are so attractive or interesting
  Eg: My Mother cant take her eyes off the beautiful diamond necklace.
• Challenge: to test someone’s ability or determination
  Eg: The coach gave an open challenge to everyone. 
• Take care of: look after [phrasal verb] to take care of or be in charge of someone or something
  Eg: Ram was asked to take care of the garden. 
• Disaster: (an event which results in) great harm, damage or death, or serious difficulty
  Eg: The Lebanon disaster caused a great deal of damage to everyone. 
• Diaper: a square of thick soft paper or cloth which is fastened around a baby’s bottom and between its legs to absorb its urine and solid waste
  Eg: Rose was approached to act as a mother in the diaper advertisement. 
• Active: busy with or ready to perform a particular activity
  Eg: Sheela is always active in her social media group. 
• Cause: to make something happen, especially something bad
  Eg: The tsunami caused a lot of damage to the environment. 
• Consequence: a result of a particular action or situation, often one which is bad or not convenient
  Eg: John must understand the consequences of his actions. 
• Prevent: to stop something from happening or someone from doing something
  Eg: My mother prevented me from touching the electric wire. 
• Approach: to come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality or amount
  Eg: My sister approached me to complete a project. 
• Decade: a period of ten years, especially a period such as 1860 to 1869, or 1990 to 1999
  Eg: We are living in this house for over a decade now. 
• Unexpected: not expected
  Eg: His unexpected arrival shocked everyone. 
• Harm: to hurt someone or damage something
  Eg: Environmental pollution can harm human health. 
• Experience: something that happens to you that affects how you feel
  Eg: Rose has experience of working as a teacher for 5 years. 

Explore More Child Cue cards >>

Questions For Part 3

1 Are sweets a good thing to reward children?

Definitely yes. From my experience, children are often thrilled to bits when they catch sight of pieces of candies, especially those with colorful packaging. It can be easily understood because children have a sweet tooth and candies are no wonder a perfect suit for them.

2 Do parents in your country spend a lot of time with their children?

As far as I can tell,  most people are constantly up to ears in their work and hardly spare enough time for their kids. Instead, I reckon grandparents are often the ones who look after them as people in my country generally live in extended families and these elderly members have more free time. The direct result of this is that children end up being closer to their grandparents than their own mother and father.

3 Why do children tend to be happier than adults?

I guess the first and foremost reason is because children tend to let their feelings go while adults tend to hold their feelings back. In fact, children’s thoughts are simple and innocent. They also have the ability to simplify everything that they see, feel and encounter, which helps them to be more careless and not over-analyze things like most adults do. Besides, they  don’t have to face up with any troubles at work and they often forget what just happened. They have no worries, no doubts, no disappointment about anything. Thus, their life is much easier and happier.

Vocabulary for Speaking Part 3

• First and foremost (phrase) most importantly; more than anything else
  Eg: the first and the foremost thing is to understand the requirements.
• To let Sth go (v) to allow someone or something to escape or go free
  Eg: I felt really sad for the caged birds, So I let them go.
• To hold Sth back (v) to hesitate to act or speak
  Eg: She struggled to hold back her tears.
• To face with (v) to deal with
  Eg: Everyone has to face some problems.
• Thrilled to bits (adj) excited and happy
  Eg: I was thrilled to bits when my mother allowed me to go on a picnic.
• Have a sweet tooth (phrase) like to eat sweet things
  Eg: Rose has a sweet tooth, which is why she needs dessert after every meal.
• Up to ears/neck in something (idiom) very busy doing something
  Eg: I’m up to my ears in paperwork, as the exams have started.
• Extended family (noun)  a family unit that includes grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles, etc. in addition to parents and children
  Eg: We invited our extended family too.
• Nuclear family (noun) a family consisting of two parents and their children, but not including aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.
  Eg: It’s very difficult for her to adjust in a joint family, as she’s born and brought up in a nuclear family